Mosquitos, flies and other insects are a common irritation for horses, particularly around their eyes. The presence of insects around a horse's eyes can annoy the horse and can cause infections to develop.
The presence of insects on a horse's eyes and face can distract the horse and cause it to be inattentive to the rider, therefore affecting the safety of both the rider and the horse.
A variety of masks for horses have previously been developed to protect a horse's eyes from flies. Many existing masks are cumbersome and hot for the horse to wear, particularly when the horse is being ridden and wearing a bridle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,864 issued 15 Aug. 1995 to Green discloses an insect control apparatus suitable for horses comprising a piece of material, which the horse can see through, darts to force the shape of the apparatus away from the horse's eyes and a hook and loop fastener (i.e., Velcro®) to affix the apparatus to the horse under the jaw and behind the ears.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,404,789 issued 20 Sep. 1983 to Denning discloses an animal eye protection device suitable for horses comprising a net-like material affixed in a bubble that is spaced from the horse's eyes. The Denning device has an edge lying around the front of the head below the ears and another across the nose. The Denning mask may be attached to the horse by Velcro® straps under the jaw and behind the ears.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,156 issued 5 May 1987 to Oettel discloses a protective mask for animals suitable for horses comprising a continuous one-piece screen for covering the eyes and adjacent facial area. The Oettel mask has a single cutout area for the animal's ears, and can be attached to the horse by Velcro® under the jaw.
There exists a need for a protective mask for horses that removably attaches to a bridle, that is not cumbersome and is comfortable for the horse to wear while the horse is being ridden.